BHUBANESWAR : Transgender students, girls rescued from child marriages and orphans (without any biological, adoptive or legal parents) will now get financial aid from the state government to pursue higher education.
Under Gopabandhu Sikhya Sahayata Yojana, which has been under implementation since 2018-19, the Higher Education department has decided to include students in the above-mentioned categories from this academic session (2023-24) to pursue under-graduate (UG) and post-graduate (PG) in both general and technical courses across public and private institutions in the state.
The Higher Education department provides three scholarships to students from poor socio-cultural and economic backgrounds - e-Medhabruti Scholarship, Vyasakabi Fakir Mohan Bhasabruti and Gopabandhu Sikhya Sahayata Yojana. Under Gopabandhu Yojana, it has been providing financial assistance of Rs 20,000 per year to children of HIV/AIDS-affected parents, manual scavengers, single mothers, destitute, Particularly Vulnerable Tribes (PVTs), and families without shelters.
Officials of the department said the annual income of families of the students should be less than Rs 2.5 lakh. Besides, a girl rescued from child marriage will be eligible to receive the support as long as she remains in the rehabilitation centre or hostel for a major part of the academic year and till the academic year in which she either turns 21 years or gets married, whichever comes first, they added.
Eligible students can apply through the Odisha State Scholarship portal. A committee formed by the district collector will finalise the list of eligible applicants and forward it to the department. The scheme will be applicable to the students even if they are receiving other scholarships.
Education for all
Higher Education dept will include transgenders, girls rescued from marriages and orphans under Gopabandhu Sikhya Sahayata Yojana
To avail the benefit, the annual income of the students’ families should be less than Rs 2.5 lakh
Eligible students can apply
for the programme through Odisha State Scholarship portal